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DECISION No

DECISION No. 481-TTg ON THE 8TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1994 OF THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE ORGANIZATION AND CAMPAIGNING FOR THE USE OF IODIZED SALT BY THE WHOLE POPULATION

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government on the 9th of September, 1992;

In order to eradicate goiter and cretinism, and contribute to improving the people's intellectual standard and socio-economic development;

At the proposal of the Ministry of Health;

DECIDES:

Article 1.- Iodized salt is considered a medicine to prevent goiter and cretinism and other diseases caused by iodine deficiency. Therefore, the Government decides to launch a campaign and organize for the consumption of iodized salt among the entire population as from 1995.

Article 2.- To entrust the Ministry of Trade with organizing the production and supply of iodized salt on the national scale according to the following regulations:

a/ Iodized salt must be produced according to the prescribed criteria, must ensure hygiene during its production, transportation, storing and packaging, according to the prescriptions of the Ministry of Health. Each bag of iodized salt must have a label specifying the place of production, the date of production and the price.

The Ministry of Health shall issue permits for the production of iodized salt, supervise its production, and closely control its quality.

b/ The Government shall supply iodized salt free of charge to the population in the difficult highland areas, and partly subsidize the price of iodized salt to the population in a number of difficult mountainous areas.

The Committee for Nationalities and Mountainous Regions shall cooperate with the Ministry of Health and the People's Committees in the concerned provinces in drawing up the list of difficult highland districts and communes to be supplied with iodized salt free of charge, and the difficult mountainous districts and communes to be partly subsidized in the sale of idolized salt.

The Ministry of Health shall be the sponsor and, together with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Finance, discuss the concrete level of price subsidy to submit to the Prime Minister for decision.

Article 3.- The Ministry of Health shall be the sponsor of the National Program Against Goiter. It has the responsibility to draw up the plan, approve the expenditures, and control the use of the State budget devoted to this Program. The Ministry of Health shall discuss with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Finance the mechanism for the use and management of the fund devoted to this Program, and submit it to the Prime Minister.

Article 4.- The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Culture and Information, and the local People's Committees have the responsibility to educate the population in the whole country about the benefit of consuming iodized salt, and to carry out the program of consumption of iodized salt throughout the country right at the beginning of 1995.

The Government asks the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the mass and social organizations, and the mass media to collaborate with the administration at all levels to motivate the entire population to consume iodized salt.

Article 5.- This Decision takes effect as from the date of its promulgation.

Article 6.- The ministers, the heads of ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government have the responsibility to organize and direct the implementation of this Decision.

Prime Minister

VO VAN KIET